The Stars and Stripes – Page 6 – Old Magazine Articles

The U.S. First Division at Cantigny
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918)

The battle of Cantigny (May 28 – 31, 1918) was America’s first division sized engagement during the First World War; George Marshall would later opine that the objective was of no strategic importance and of small tactical value. General Pershing was hellbent on eradicating from the popular memory any mention of the A.E.F.’s poor performance at Seicheprey some weeks earlier, and Cantigny was as good a battleground in which to do it as any. Assessing the battle two weeks after the Armistice, Pershing’s yes men at the STARS AND STRIPES wrote:

But at Cantigny it had been taught to the world the significant lesson that the American soldier was fully equal to the soldier of any other nation on the field of battle.

An article from THE NEW REPUBLIC recognizing that 1914 marked the end of an era.

Three Articles on the Old Campaign Hat
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918 – 1919)

These three articles from THE STARS AND STRIPES of W.W. I reported on the U.S. Army Campaign hat which was a well-loved uniform item and most Doughboys were pretty choked-up to see that it was going to be replaced by a piece of millinery as slovenly as the overseas cap.

The Paper Had a Second Anniversary
(Stars and Stripes, 1919)

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The Paper Had a Second Anniversary
(Stars and Stripes, 1919)

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Doughboy Uniforms: Breeches vs. Long Pants
(The Stars and Stripes, 1919)

It has officially been decided that the A.E.F. has grown up and must now wear pants.

A 1919 order appeared in THE STARS and STRIPES indicating that the era of army-issued olive drab knee breeches had passed and soon all American Army personnel would be issued long pants:

Experts have decided that the breeches legs shrink when wet and impede the circulation, and it is assured that the kind that he used to wear in civilian life will not cause the Doughboy cold feet…

To supply the A.E.F. until August, 2,500,000 pairs of pants have been ordered, and these, which will cost only nineteen cents a leg more than breeches did, will be of better quality than the latter.

A New Uniform Regulation for the NCOs of the A.E.F.
(Stars and Stripes, 1918)

In an attempt to save money, the U.S. Army issued an order that N.C.O.s were to wear chevrons on one arm only.

The Tailoring System for U.S. Officers
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918)

This U.S. Army uniform regulation announced in the September 13th, 1918 issue of THE STARS and STRIPES helped to put British, French (and later German) tailors to work on the uniforms of U.S. officers:

According to this plan, each Quartermaster depot will have a tailoring system through which the officer can buy his cloth and then be fitted and outfitted on the spot. At each depot, civilian labor will be contracted and the officer need pay for only his share of the labor cost.

Two Khaki Shirt Advertisements
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918)

Black and white illustrations showing the types of private purchase shirting available to the members of the A.E.F. who were willing to pay for such foppery.

These particular items were British made and the ads depict two jocular Tommies.

The New Thing for 1919: Water-Proof Footwear and Long Trousers
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918)

Around the middle of 1918, the American Quartermasters began to think that their supply depots should actually be stocked with uniform items that were capable of providing some degree of warmth and comfort in the French winters, and so they dreamed-up the uniform elements described herein. For those who have some knowledge of American WW I uniforms it will be easy to recognize upon reading this article that most of these items were never made (except for the long pants).

A Puttee Advertisement
(Stars and Stripes, 1918)

The canvas leggings worn by the A.E.F. (as ordered in the American Army Uniform Regulations of 1912) were simply dandy for duties on the dry prairies of the United States, but soon proved impractical in the damp and rainy climate of France and Belgium. Shortly after their arrival in France the U.S. Army replaced their leggings with the wool puttees worn by their European Allies. In May of 1919 they were adopted for use by the entire Army.

Indian Moccasins Authorized
(The Stars and Stripes, 1919)

It is little remembered in our day that the Native Americans who served in the American Expeditionary Forces along the Western Front were permitted to wear moccasins in place of the regulation Pershing boot. Ethnic pandering is not a term that should come to mind; this was a high complement paid by their commanding officers for a well-respected prowess in battle. The following is a small portion from a larger article which is posted on The Native American page of this website; the entire article can be read following the link that reads A Talent for Sniping.

Advertisements for A.E.F. Officer’s Tailoring
(Stars and Stripes, 1918-19)

Attached, you will find three well illustrated advertisements for Paris military tailors that were lovingly scanned and posted after having been crudely ripped from the brittle pages of the U.S. Army newspaper STARS AND STRIPES.

An Advertisement for Officer’s Ankle Boots
(Stars and Stripes, 1918)

Some A.E.F. officers realized that industrial war would not provide them with an opportunity for horseback riding and they wisely chose alternative footwear more suited to the discomfort of living in the damp trenches of France.

An Underwear Advertisement
(Stars and Stripes, 1918)

The attached ad makes it quite clear that the American Army was not without its innovators: the Germans may have introduced poison gas, the British may have introduced the tank but it was the Americans who added Chamois Leather Underwear to the arsenal of industrial warfare.

The Doughboy Helmet: the Press Release
(Stars and Stripes, 1918)

Unlike those Poilu who rushed manfully to the recruiting stations in 1914 expecting some sartorial glory in the form of a shiny cavalry breast plate or stylish bright red pantaloons, only to find that the constraints of modern warfare would only provide him with a filthy rat-infested trench and a poor-man’s concept of a camouflage uniform (light-blue wool); the American Doughboy at least had some time to figure out that he would not be as nicely turned out as his uncle was during the Spanish-American War.

This odd notice was printed on the front page of The Stars and Stripes while most of the A.E.F. was still in training. The word was out by this time that the Campaign Hats they were issued back home were out -and so to counter the gripes, the army printed this balderdash to put a ‘nice spin’ on the tin pot.

It’s not a helmet — it’s a Steel Stetson!

To read more about the old campaign hats of the A.E.F. click here.

Heroism on the Western Front
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918)

It was the Prussian Guard against the American Indian on the morning of October 8 in the hills of Champagne.

Changing the Uniforms to Fit the Climate
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918)

A short notice printed in May of 1918 which intended to let the Doughboys know that the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps was well aware that changes needed to be made in the American uniform in response to the damp French climate.

The additional uniform items never went into production in light of the fact that the war ended six months later.

Commander of the Lost Battalion
(The Stars and Stripes, 1919)

The following article presented a brief account of the deeds of Major Charles W. Whittlesey of the 308th Infantry Regiment ( Seventy Seventh Division) and why he was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor. Shortly after the war Whittlesey would commit suicide.

In December of 1918, Lt. Colonel Whittelesey was highly praised in VANITY FAIR …